Connector for bridging insulated wires



United States l atet1t C) 3,118,715 CUNNECEUR FUR BRlDGlNG WSULATEDWIRES Robert A. Pen-rich, Miami Beach, Fla, assignor to Lumidor ProductsCorporation, Hialeah, Flat, a corporation of Maryland Filed June 19,1962, Ser. No. 203,574 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-98) This invention relates toconnectors for insulated wires and is more particularly directed to asolderless connector for bridging insulated wires.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a connectorfor bridging insulated wires rather than cutting the wire in order toconnect same electrically together.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector forinsulated wires which strips the insulation from the wire, makingelectrical contact therewith simultaneously with the sealing of theconnector.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a connectorwhich is ready to receive the insulated wires to be connected and whichrequires nothing more than forcing its cap downwardly on the main bodyto eifect a proper electrical connection between the wires.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a simpleand inexpensive connector for insulated wires which is extremely simpleto use for bridging a wire and connecting the latter to other wiresrequiring no special tools or skill on the part of the user thereof.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be bestunderstood from a consideration of the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification, with the understanding, however, that the invention isnot confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawingbut may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modificationsmark no material departure from the salient features of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

in the drawing:

FEGURE l is a perspective view of a connector for bridging insulatedwhee constructed in accordance with my invention and shown with wirespositioned thereon.

EEGURE 2 is a similar view with its cap portion shown in an explodedposition and the wires removed.

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view of the cap portion.

FlGURE 4- is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FEGURE 2with the cap portion shown in position on the body member prior to andready for use.

PEGURE 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 2shown with the wires in position and the connections effected by theconnector.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals are us d to designatesimilar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1% refers to aconnector embodying my invention and consisting of a body member B, acap C and an electrical connector E. The body member B and cap C arefabricated preferably of a plastic material which is non conductor ofelectricity while the connector E is made of brass, copper and the likewhich will conduct electricity.

The body member which is substantially rectangular in shape having anopen top, consists of a bottom wall 11, side walls =12 and 13, frontwall 14 and a rear wall 15, a portion of the front wall 14 extendsoutwardly as at 19 as shown best by FIGURE 1 and is provided with aplurality of bores 16, 17 for receiving insulated Wires 20, 21 thereinin order to contain the wires in the body member B as explained indetail hereinafter. The bore 17 extends the full width of the bodymember B through the rear wall 15 and is joined by a horizontallydisposed slot 13 which lies along the full length of the side wall 13.There are no other openings in the rear wall 15.

Patented Jan. 21, 1964 A chamber 22 formed in the body member B isprovided with a plurality of longitudinally extending walls 23positioned between the bores 16, 17 to form longitudinally disposedgrooves 27 within the chamber 21 in alignment with the bores 16, v17 andalong which the wires 20, 21 lie. The lower portion of the side walls 12and 13 are thicker on their inside surfaces than their respective upperportions to form ledges 25 and 26'. A pair of slots 28 extendtransversely of the chamber 21 cutting across the wall members 23 andthe inside surfaces of the side walls 12 and 13 at the ledges 25 and 26.At each of the corners of the side wall 12 there is a bore 39 extendingto adjacent the bottom Wall 11 for receiving leg portions 39 which areattached to the cap member C. A pair of cap engaging abutments 23 aremounted on the inside wall 12 and extend upwardly from the ledge 26.

The cap member C is rectangular in shape with an abutment 41 on the edgeof the cap member C to cause the cap to fit snugly in the opening of thebody member B and is provided with a top wall 31 and a pair of dependingside walls 32. A slot 33 extends across the inner surface of the topwall member 31 extending into the inner surface of the side wall members32 as shown at 34 and 35, the slot 35 being smaller than the slots 33and 34. The pair of legs 30 depends from the side wall 32 at the cornersthereof.

A connector E having a U-shaped cross section and consisting of a pairof leg portions 36 are joined at their upper portion by a web portion37. The leg portions 36 are slotted as at 38 in alignment with the bores16, 17 when the connector E has been positioned within the chamber 21.The slots are enlarged at their lower ends and are slightly narrower inwidth than the diameter of the metallic portion of the insulated wires20, 21 so that when the wires 29, 21 are received by the slots 38, theside walls of the leg portions 36 at the slots 38 will cut through theinsulation on the wires 20, 21 and imbed itself into a portion of themetallic conductor thereof toeffect an electrical contact between thewires 20, 2.1 and the connector E as best shown by FIGURE 5. Theconnector E is provided with a tab 4% which is received by the slot 35when the connector E is fitted into the slot 33 in the cap member C inorder that the connector E be fitted properly in the cap C. Theconnector E fits tightly within the cover or cap member C and remainstherein by frictional engagement.

When it is found necessary to connect the wire 21 to a plurality ofwires 20 without severing or cutting the wire 21 or its insulation, theconnector 10 becomes extremely useful and the connection efiected isquickly made without special tools or having to cut wires or theirinsulation. After the various components of my connector have beenmanufactured, the body member B, cap C and connector E are assembled asshown by FIGURE 4. The connector E is inserted into the cap member Cwith the web portion 3% and tab 40 being received by the slots 33 and 35respectively. The cap member C with the connector E in position areplaced in position over the open top body member B. The leg portions 3dare inserted into the bores 39 and the cap member C is forced downwardlyinto the chamber 22 until the lower edges of the depending side walls 32of the cap member C engages the side walls 12 and 13 of the body memberB as shown by FIGURE 4. In this position, the connector E will assumethe position shown by FIGURE 4 with the lower edge thereof slightlyabove the top edge of the slot 18 whereby the slot 18 is free to receivea wire 21. This is the condition of my connector 16 when delivered tothe users.

When it is desired to use my connector 19 to connect the wires 20 withthe wire 21, the wire 21 is slid sideways through the slot 18 until itabuts against the end of the slot 13 at the front and rear walls 14 and15. The wire 21 is then dropped into the bores 17 and brought to rest inits groove 27. Then the ends of the two wires 29 are placed into thebores 16 and made to slide into their respective grooves 27 until theyabut against the rear wall l5. With the wires 29, 21 in their propergrooves within: the connector 16, a tool such as pliers is used toforce: the cap C downwardly into the chamber 22 of the body member B. Asthe cap C recedes into the chamber 22,. the leg portions 36 of theconnector E will be received by the transverse slots 28 with the wireengaging slots 33 in alignment with the wires 2% 2i and the slots 27.As: the lower edges of the connector leg portions 35 engage the wires2d, 21, the side walls defining the slots 38 will engage the insulationof the wires 26, 21 and being inflexible and having square edges theconnector E will strip the insulation from the wires 2%, 21 and biteinto the sides of the metallic portion of the wires 2-3, 21 as bestshown by FIGURE 5. As the cap member C continues to slide inwardly ofthe chamber 22, one of the side walls of the cap member C will engagethe abutments 29 to become tightly ensconced within the chamber 21 andthe side walls 32 come to rest on the ledges 2'5, 26. At this position,the top surface of the cap member C will be flush with the top of thebody member B and the wires 2 21 will be in electrical contact with eachother through the medium of the conductor connector 35. The chamber 21of the body member B will be completely and effectively sealed, as thewall 32 will block off any ingress to the chamber through the slot 18 tocause a short circuit,

Having disclosed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureb Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A connector for bridging insulated wires comprising a body having apair of side walls, a front wall and a rear wall forming an open topchamber and a slot extending the full length of one of said side wallsthrough said front and rear walls for receiving an insulated Wire, aplurality of wall members mounted in spaced relation in said chamer andextending between said front and rear walls forming a plurality ofgrooves, said front wall having a bore in alignment with each of saidgrooves for receiving ends t of insulated wires, said chamber having atransversely positioned slot extending between said side walls andthrough said wall members, a cap member mounted in said body member andenclosing said chamber, a con nector member secured to said cap memberand extending ,2

into said transverse slot, said connector member having a plurality ofslots in alignment with said grooves, said slots in said connector beingslightly less in size than the diameter of said insulated wires wherebyupon the forcing of said cap member on said body member said connectorwill simultaneously strip the insulation from said wires forming anelectrical connection between the wires and seal said chamber in saidbody member.

2. A connector for bridging insulated'wires comprising a body having apair of side walls, a front wall and a rear A wall forming an open topchamber and a slot extending the full length of one of said side wallsthrough said front and rear walls for receiving an insulated wire, aplurality of wall members mounted in spaced relation in said chamher andextending between said front and rear walls forming a plurality ofgrooves, said front wall having a bore in alignment with each of saidgrooves for receiving ends of insulated wires, said chamber having atransversely positioned slot extending between said side Walls andthrough said well members, a cap member mounted in said bod member andenclosing said chamber, said cap member comprising a depending side wallfrictionally en- ;gaging said side wall of said body member at said sloton said one of said side Walls, said'cap member having a slotted portionon an inner surface,ia connector member 4 comprising a pair of legportions and a'web portion joining one end of said leg portions, saidweb portion being received and frictionally engaged by said slottedportion on said cap member, said connector member having a plurality ofslots in alignment with said grooves, said slots being enlarged at thefree ends of said leg portions for receiving a wire and having a widthslightly less than the diameter of said wires whereby upon the forcingof said cap member on said body member said connector willsimultaneously strip the insulation from said wires forming anelectrical connection between the wires and seal said chamber in saidbody member, and said depending wall of said cap member sealing off saidslot in said body member.

3. A connector for bridging insulated wires comprising :a body having apair of side walls, a front wall and a rear wall forming an open topchamber and a slot extending the full length of one of said side wallsthrough said front and rear walls for receiving an insulated wire, aplurality of wall members mounted in spaced relation in said chamber andextending between said front and rear walls forming a plurality ofgrooves, said front wall having a bore in alignment with each of saidgrooves for receiving ends of insulated wires, said chamber having atransverse- 13, positioned slot extending between said side walls and*through said wall members, a cap member mounted in said body member andenclosing said chamber, said body member having a pair of bores at thejuncture of the other of said side wall and front and rear walls, saidcap member comprising a pair of depending side walls frictionallyengaging said side walls of said body member at :said slot on said oneof said side walls, a pair of leg portions mounted on one of saiddepending side walls and received by said bores, said cap member havinga slotted portion on an inner surface, a connector member comprising apair of leg portions and a web portion joining one end of said legportions, said Web portion being received and frictionally engaged bysaid slotted portion on said cap member, said connector member having aplurality of slots in alignment with said grooves, said slots beingenlarged at the free ends of said leg portions for receiving a wire andhaving a width slightly less than the diameter of said wires wherebyupon the forcing of said cap member on said body member said connectorwill simultaneously strip the insulation from said wires forming anelectrical connection between the wires and seal said chamber in saidbody member.

4. A connector for bridging insulated wires comprising a body memberhaving an open top chamber, a substantially horizontally disposed slotfor receiving an insulated wire extending the full length of said bodymember communicating with said chamber, a cover member fitted over saidopen top chamber, said cover having a depend-t ing wall adjacent saidslot, said body member having a plurality of openings for inserting theends of insulate wires into said chamber, a connector member'secured tosaid cap member and extending into said chamber, said connector memberhaving a plurality of slots in alignment with said openings in said bodymember, said slots being slightly less in size than the diameter of saidinsulated wires whereby upon the forcing of said cap member on said bodymember said connector will strip the insulation from said wires, formingan electrical connection between the wires and seal said chamber in saidbody member and said depending wall of said cap member sealing oil saidslot in said body member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSsimultaneously, a

4. A CONNECTOR FOR BRIDGING INSULATED WIRES COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER HAVING AN OPEN TOP CHAMBER, A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED SLOT FOR RECEIVING AN INSULATED WIRE EXTENDING THE FULL LENGTH OF SAID BODY MEMBER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHAMBER, A COVER MEMBER FITTED OVER SAID OPEN TOP CHAMBER, SAID COVER HAVING A DEPENDING WALL ADJACENT SAID SLOT, SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS FOR INSERTING THE ENDS OF INSULATED WIRES INTO SAID CHAMBER, A CONNECTOR MEMBER SECURED TO SAID CAP MEMBER AND EXTENDING INTO SAID CHAMBER, SAID CONNECTOR MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF SLOTS IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID OPENINGS IN SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID SLOTS BEING SLIGHTLY LESS IN SIZE THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID INSULATED WIRES WHEREBY UPON THE FORCING OF SAID CAP MEMBER ON SAID BODY MEMBER SAID CONNECTOR WILL SIMULTANEOUSLY STRIP THE INSULATION FROM SAID WIRES, FORMING AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE WIRES AND SEAL SAID CHAMBER IN SAID BODY MEMBER AND SAID DEPENDING WALL OF SAID CAP MEMBER SEALING OFF SAID SLOT IN SAID BODY MEMBER. 